Artistic Director, Kevin Loring

SONGS OF THE LAND

Since launching our first production in 2013 as part of the Lytton River Festival, Songs of the Land is now a multi-phased community and artist collaboration project sourcing traditional stories and culture of the N’laka’pamux people in Lytton, BC.

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History of the project

Savage Society was approached by the New Pathways to Gold Society to create a multi-disciplinary performance derived from the Wax Cylinder Recordings of the Nlaka'pamux people made over 100 years ago by James Teit. This treasure trove of Nlaka'pamux songs, stories, prayers and ceremonies has become the source material of new work, incorporating song, dance theatre and new media.

The creation and presentation of The Battle of the Birds, featuring an intergenerational cast of 30 community members and 6 professional Indigenous Theatre Artists and Musicians. The Battle of the Birds is based on a traditional N’laka’pamux creation story, dealing with issues of domestic violence and power abuse, in both N’laka’pamux and English.

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The Boy Who Was Abandoned (2016)

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Creation and presentation of The Boy Who Was Abandoned. The story is based on a traditional N’laka’pamux story dealing with youth and elder neglect.

The Words of Our Chiefs (2017)

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This production incorporated a community ensemble and music, and culminated in a performance during the Festival. Based on the Laurier Memorial document, The Words of our Chiefs is a dramatic re-imagining of this powerful and inspiring historical document that eloquently outlines the grievances and experiences with colonialism of First Nations of the BC Interior in 1910.

The Council of Spider, Ant & Fly (2018)

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Production involving an ensemble of N’laka’pamux community members. This is a traditional tale set in the time before the existence of death. Spider, Ant & Fly discuss the virtues and pitfalls of a world without death.